Historically, it was quite common to have musicians up in the organ loft... where we would be playing with the organ of the church for sacred music. These days... people prefer to see their musicians (generally seeing them is preferable than actually listening to them... but that is a rant for a different day...)... and so you will more often have the musicians on the floor of the church instead.
However, there are more groups that are experimenting with this style of placement of musicians. In many ways, it makes much more sense... as the music was written with that acoustic and placement in mind, and so things tend to work better balance-wise (with some instruments further back in the loft and the singers generally on the edge) instead of when things are flatly evened out on an equal setting on the ground. Those composers and musicians of old certainly knew their craft... and we assume to know better at our own peril!
That said, I'm not saying that the older centuries had it right in everything... definitely, not using a call to antiquity argument here! However, I am arguing that the original setting of an orchestra and ensemble is something that you really have to keep in mind... or you will hit problems that were never encountered beforehand due to the solution of physical placement!
The other really good thing is that I can keep wearing my comfy normal shoes... instead of my concert shoes! Actually... from where I'm standing, I could probably do without pants as well... but it is a touch cold for that!
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